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Period: Jan 1, 1400 to Dec 31, 1500
Possessed by devils
People start to beleive that persons with disabilities are possessed by devils. -
Poor Laws
"Elizabethan Poor Laws were passed from 1583 to 1601 in order to aid the deserving poor, orphaned and crippled. The 1601 law was a consolidation of prior legislation and laid some of the burden on society by charging a "poor rate" on owners of property. Queen Elizabeth's government divided the poor into three groups. The disabled poor were placed in the group labeled 'helpless poor.' " -
Salem Witch Trials
"The Salem Witch Trials resulted in the hanging of 19 witches, both male and female. It has been purported that some of the 19 were either feebleminded, of little or no education, or insane. Fear of what was different played into this community's persecution of so-called witches." -
First Hospital for people with Mental Disabilities
Established in Virginia -
First Asylum for Mentally Ill
"As a result of the social movement led by Dorothea Dix, the first asylum for the mentally ill is built in Trenton, New Jersey. Dix is able to convince several other states to do the same. Her work with the disabled that she found in jails convinced her that there was a need for separate facilities." -
Gallaudet College in Washington DC
This was the first school for deaf students -
The IQ Test
Alfred Binet identifies "slow" or "retarded" children through an IQ test. -
Buck vs. Bell Supreme Court Ruling
"Buck v. Bell, 274 U.S. 200 (1927), was the United States Supreme Court ruling that upheld a statute instituting compulsory sterilization of the unfit, including the mentally retarded, "for the protection and health of the state." It was largely seen as an endorsement of negative eugenics—the attempt to improve the human race by eliminating 'defectives' from the gene pool....On 2 May 1927, in an 8-1 decision, the Court accepted that she, her mother and her daughter were 'feeble-minded.' " -
President Roosevelt with Polio: March of Dimes Established
"The March of Dimes was founded in 1938 as the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis with the help of President Franklin Roosevelt to help eradicate polio. After polio was no longer a threat in the United States, the March of Dimes has focused on birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality. Society became more aware of disabilities as a medical condition in need of treatment and funding." -
Rehabilitation Act
Guarantees civil rights for the disabled in the context of federally funded institutions. -
Education for all Handicapped Children Act
- Establishes the right of children with disabilities to receive free, appropriate public education to meet their needs.
- Protects the rights of children with disabilities and their parents.
- Helps state and local education agencies provide for the education of all children.
- Assesses and assures the effectiveness of efforts to educate all children with disabilities.
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Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Barrs discrimination in employment, public services, public accomodations, and education. -
No Child Left Behind Act
Schools are accountable for the academic performance of all school children. -
People First Language
The idea of people first language is developed. Put people first before their disability and drop the labels!
